


HOMECOMING

by P5soleilnoir



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: During Canon, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Bonding, Father Saving Son, Father's Day, Father's Day 2019, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Pretending To Be Father And Son, Spoilers, This Is An Ode To Wholesomness Lol, Very Very Much Fluff, p5soleilnoir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 13:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20340787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/P5soleilnoir/pseuds/P5soleilnoir
Summary: When someone mistakes them as father and son at a fancy party, Shidou sees the opportunity and wastes no time in taking it... much to Goro's dismay. Dismay that doesn't take long to dissipate as the afternoon goes on with one pleasant surprise after another, no matter how much he furiously denies enjoying any of them.What he doesn't know, of course, is that he's not the only one to think this afternoon went on better than expected. Shidou would make sure to keep it that way.





	HOMECOMING

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be published for Father's Day but ahem my legendary slowness struck. Regardless, I hope you'll enjoy this very indulgent, very wish-fulfillmenty story!

His entire life had already been punctuated by this thought several times, but in that moment, Akechi Goro truly had no idea what was going on.  
  
It had all started inside the car – or rather, with the text message summoning him there. It had been urgent, sent without advance notice, commanding him to make himself available the coming afternoon regardless of his perpetually busy schedule; the message also insisted on him wearing a tuxedo for some unfathomable reason. In any other circumstances, Goro wouldn’t have put up with such a ridiculous and demanding whim… assuming said circumstances didn’t involve the one called Shidou Masayoshi. He had complied right away, of course, and found himself one hour later climbing onto the backseat of Shidou’s car, next to his superior as the chauffeur drove them to a destination that remained a complete mystery to this very moment. Of course, – because Shidou wouldn't be Shidou otherwise – any attempts to inquire about the reason for such a pressing request were swatted away before Goro could even think about the most polite way to formulate them in his head. Given how engrossed Shidou was in his phone conversation, to the point that he had barely acknowledged Goro's presence once they reunited within the car, he made it crystal clear he was currently not inclined to explain himself anytime soon, let alone pretend to notice his subordinate's slight discomfort.  
  
And thus, Goro was left to his own ruminations, his chin propped in the palm of his hand as he gazed through the smoked window in boredom. The car was stopped at a traffic light, allowing him to take in every detail outside at his leisure. It was a warm and pleasant day, effervescent with the promises of summer befitting mid-June. Many passersby crowded the street, making the most of the sunny weather as they went on their merry way. Goro observed them vacantly, but only because the multitude of people offered a slightly more interesting scenery than the absolute nothingness happening inside the car. And just as the thought crossed his mind, a glint of curiosity flickered across his rather dull gaze – a man and a child, most likely father and son, exiting a store and both sporting the brightest smiles Goro had ever seen. The windows behind them were covered in posters and notices advertising the store's new listings for Father's Day…  
  
A furrow emerged between Goro’s brows, and he quickly averted his gaze. His mood, already less than stellar beforehand, had now plummeted to a level of foulness like he had rarely experienced in his life. He had tried very hard to pretend he was blissfully unaware of today’s date and what it entailed, but there was no ignoring it when everything around him seemed to get some twisted kick out of rubbing the fact in his face. From endless gift ideas-sharing among his excited classmates to long-announced store deals for the occasion, Goro felt like he had spent the last few days treading over a minefield, endeavoring to avoid the one wrong step that could set off a chain reaction. Judging by how it was all blowing up in his face, he couldn’t say he had done a very good job at it.  
  
His spirits hadn’t always soured that badly at the mere thought of Father’s Day. All raging infernos started out only with a feeble spark, after all – this day used to be an enigma he never got to solve, a mellow yet dormant feeling that paved the way to something much more venomous. Back then, Father’s Day was simply a foreign concept, filling his mind with nothing but mild curiosity at best. Today, there was only room for raw, boiling hot contempt, much more terrible in that one moment than it had been in all the previous years. He didn’t have to wonder long at why that was. Shidou was right there, after all.  
  
Almost against his will, he found himself gazing through the window again. The father was laughing, hoisting his young son in the air while the little boy clearly shrieked in delight. Goro wasn't able to pick up anything they were saying, but given the cheerful bag lying by the man's feet, he could easily guess. Then, the father wrapped his arms around his child, who embraced him back tightly, and Goro felt his heart flip. He looked away as fast as one would have pulled their hand away from a sizzling hot plate.  
  
He really wished the light would change to green already.  
  
“What's the matter? You're scowling.”   
  
Goro jolted, letting an involuntary gasp that made short work of his prided composure. The remark was akin to a gunshot piercing the silence, sharp and loud, cutting through his senses and yanking him back to the present as effectively as if a firm grasp had dragged him by the hair.   
  
Even so, Shidou hadn't raised his voice.  
  
There had been that perpetual bark to his tone, but Goro knew it was less about genuine annoyance and more about Shidou being simply his regular self. He had finally put his phone away and was now staring at him with an inquisitive, imperious stare. Discarding his gloom in some remote place of his mind for the time being, Goro looked back at him, at the man who stole everything from his existence, the man whose downfall he couldn't wait to revel in; the man who condemned him to a life of misery without batting an eye.  
  
The man he was unlucky enough to have for father.  
  
“…It's nothing,” he lied, pasting a smile upon his face which he intended to come across as persuasive. “I just realized I forgot my book at school yesterday. A shame, as I was really invested in it and wanted to finish it tonight…”  
  
The chuckle he gave befit the Detective Prince, always prim and proper no matter the circumstances. It was an effective, sparkly mask, endearing the masses and having them wrapped around his finger at the flash of a pleasant smile. Unfortunately, having such a powerful control over the world didn't mean much to the men who stood way above, such as Shidou.  
  
“Forget about it. I need you to be as efficient and receptive as possible today. You'll get all the leisure to brood once you're dismissed, but until then, you'd better stay focused.”  
  
“Is this related to our destination?” Goro ventured, his tightening grip upon the edge of his seat the sole indication that he had heard the gibe. His guess earned him a satisfied, subdued smirk.  
  
“Sharp as always, Akechi,” Shidou uttered, and the effect was immediate. A powerful shot of excitement jolted up within Goro's stomach, like it did each time Shidou threw him even the smallest of bones… no matter how hard he tried to deny the existence of this exhilarating feeling rushing through his veins. “It was sudden, but I was invited to attend a private event this afternoon. Hundreds of people, all of them part of Tokyo's elite, gathered in one place. A great opportunity to scout eventual allies and build more connections.”  
  
“I see,” Goro replied, nodding. “Chances like this one rarely come by. You do well not to let it slip, Shidou-san.”  
  
His assurance somewhat dwindled then. When he continued, a noticeable trace of hesitation showed in his eyes. “Though, if you don’t mind me asking… Why did you summon me to accompany you?”  
  
Goro had expected Shidou to frown, to chastise him for asking such an unnecessary question when the answer was obvious. He did none of those things. His expression merely took on a serious edge, compelling Goro to listen to him attentively.  
  
“I’m going to ask you to go on intelligence gathering for me. Listening in, making conversation, observing the people and see if you can glean something I couldn’t… Anything that would allow us to take the necessary measures if it came to that.”  
  
Goro couldn’t help an ironic smirk which he hastened to repress at once. Of course Shidou’s paranoia and distrust toward his allies would kick in before he even got to make them his.  
  
“I’ll let you know if I notice someone of particularly high value. Given the sort of crowd we’re going to deal with, I’m sure there is a colossal amount of dirt we can dig up to use to our advantage, but not just that. I’m counting on you to figure out whatever details you need in case the use of drastic measures becomes necessary. Am I clear?”  
  
“I know the importance of thorough intelligence gathering, Shidou-san,” Goro replied pleasantly, his eyes turning to crescents. “Keywords searching is one of my specialties, after all.”  
  
Shidou snorted in satisfaction, but made no comment.  
  
“However, Shidou-san… I take it entrance is restricted to invitation only, am I wrong?” Goro went on, his smile fading in favor of a serious frown. “I don’t have—”  
  
“That won’t be a problem,” Shidou cut off as he reached for his pocket and fished out his cigarettes. “You’ll introduce yourself as you normally would. Seeing that you’re the talk of the town and how people can’t seem to get enough of you, I’m sure you’ll be allowed in easily. And if you’re not… I suppose this will be your chance to show me in person just how grand your persuasion skills are.”  
  
Goro instinctively grazed his cheek with his index finger in bashfulness, but the resolute will to prove his worth washing over him was not even close to being sheepish. A short silence settled before he made to speak, but Shidou was faster.  
  
“However, no matter what happens—_we do not know each other._ Make sure to keep that in mind.”  
  
The genuine little smile upon Goro’s face vanished at once. But when it came back, it was much brighter, much wider – and with all that, much more fake. “Of course.”  
  
The rest of their ride was spent in relative silence as both parties mentally prepared themselves for what promised to be an eventful afternoon of work. Goro wasn’t nervous, for dozens and dozens of times spent in the company of adults of all kinds had served as good practice, but he couldn’t say he was looking forward to the upcoming hours. The sort of people Shidou associated himself with were usually unpleasant at best, pure scum at worst. They all were a shady crowd in his experience, from the rich’s incomprehensible eccentricities and disdain to the powerful’s corruption alongside a non-negligible dose of immorality. Even so, Shidou’s orders were absolute, and Goro wasn’t one to let personal feelings get in the way of work. Especially the real kind.  
  
It was with this thought swirling in his head that Goro watched their chauffeur take a final turn and stop a few minutes later. A red carpet connected their car to a sumptuous building he didn’t take long to recognize as a hotel. Shidou jerked his chin, silently signaling him it was time to get a move on, and so he did – Goro exited the car and entered the structure to find himself in a vestibule. It would have been empty if a doorman hadn't stood tall at the end of the room, arms folded behind his back and chin held high. The chatter escaping the small crack between the double door he was guarding indicated the party beyond was in full swing.  
  
“Good afternoon, sir,” he greeted, bowing deeply. “Welcome to the festivities. May I see your invitation?”  
  
Goro wasn’t surprised to find out he had been correct in his assumption. He had no choice but to follow Shidou’s advice, he realized – it was make or break from that point onward.  
  
“Unfortunately, I don’t have one,” he replied with as charming a smile he could muster, taking care to lace it with just a dash of controlled sheepishness. “But many of my connections told me about today’s event and managed to pique my interest. My name is Akechi Goro—”  
  
“The famous detective?” the doorman cut off, his eyes widening in recognition as he leaned forward to take in his features better. Goro swallowed a self-satisfied smirk and went on with an unwavering smile.  
  
“That’s right. I know all too well how presumptuous it is of me to ask you this, and I would perfectly understand my request being denied, but I would be forever in your debt if you allowed me to attend the event despite my lack of an invitation. As you may know, I am no stranger to those sorts of gatherings, and…”  
  
His voice trailed off on purpose, in a true display of manipulation. The process could be almost considered a spectacle, with how each word was carefully measured, each syllable emphasized in the way he knew would convey true honesty, a real mastery of how perfectly crafted human speech could grant the impossible. Sure enough, his argument, or lack thereof, hit the mark just fine – as it should.  
  
“Well, we’re usually not supposed to do this…” the doorman began, his hesitant speech then shifting to a slightly more assured one, “but I’m sure the hosts won’t mind if we disregard the instructions just this once. I mean, it’s not every day the Second Coming of the Detective Prince pays us a visit…”  
  
Goro smiled, his eyes bright.  
This was way too easy—  
  
“May I ask if you have a mask, sir?”  
  
His inner jubilation stopped dead on its tracks. He blinked a couple of times, and tilted his head to the side in incomprehension. “A… mask?”  
  
But the answer hanging upon the doorman’s lips would have to wait – for an impatient voice rang behind them, unmistakable in its gruffness.  
  
“I didn’t think they’d let kids run free in here…” Shidou muttered, startling Goro so badly he almost allowed a gasp to escape his lips. The doorman threw Shidou a curious glance before opening his mouth, only to get beaten to the punch. “I’m here for the event.”  
  
Striding like a king, Shidou reached out for his invitation and lazily showed it to the doorman in a manner that was hardly flattering. The latter, apparently not offended – and if he was, he hid it well – scoured the piece of paper, until he raised his head.  
  
“Everything is in order, sir. May I ask you to put on your mask?”  
  
Shidou frowned in an exact mimic of Goro's own reaction, much to his surprise. It seemed he wasn’t the only one to have no idea what was going on. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Ah, didn’t you know? The event follows a strict dress code—formal wear and masks. It’s not a masquerade anymore without masks, after all.”  
  
“What the… That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” Shidou shot back right away, and Goro would have laughed if the potential consequences forbade him to even think about it – there was something really foreign about Shidou, of all people, being taken aback. It was like he was being made a fool of.  
  
“Really? I’m sorry to hear that, sir… Thankfully, the hosts just happened to have prepared accordingly in case of such incident. Please take those spare masks.”  
  
Shidou muttered something under his breath Goro didn’t quite make out, – though he did manage to catch the words ‘waste of time’ and ‘foolishness’ – but he removed his shades and complied all the same. He looked rather silly wearing this plain black mask, Goro thought with a little smile as he put his own on – not that he would ever remark it aloud.  
  
“You’re all set, then. Enjoy yourselves,” the doorman said, and on this, he stepped aside to let the two of them pass. The minute the door closed behind them, Shidou dropped his act and spoke in a much lower tone than usual, barely above a whisper.  
  
“Well, this nonsense about masks aside, things are going smoothly so far. You remember what you have to do, don’t you?”  
  
Goro had to force himself not to roll his eyes, because they both painfully knew how unnecessary the question was. He made to answer, when—  
  
“Ah, welcome, welcome! Good to see more guests are joining us!”  
  
A jovial and friendly voice boomed across the corridor they had found themselves in, cutting their muttering very much short. Goro instinctively stepped away from Shidou as if caught red-handed – he had been specifically instructed not to let it slip they knew each other, he couldn't afford to mess up, much less this early—  
  
“Welcome to the masquerade party,” the voice continued, coming from a man who could only be their host. He greeted them arms wide, his exceptionally white teeth displayed in a wide grin. “Step in, step in, don’t be shy…”  
  
Almost like a missile homing in on its target, he made a beeline for Shidou, edging so close his enormous belly was all Goro could see for a moment. Shidou manufactured a smile upon his face, the one he only reserved for his public appearances, and shook the hand offered to him without hesitation. The host then leaned toward Goro, the fatherly glint in his eyes so vivid that it seemed almost patronizing. “And I see you brought your son with you as well! Good, good, I’m sure the other fine young ladies and gentlemen will be delighted to make his acquaintance—”  
  
Goro felt as though he had been electrified. Jaw dropping, he stared at the host with boggling eyes, his mind caught in the process of short-circuiting. The way Shidou’s jaw tensed up went unnoticed.  
  
“…What’s the meaning of this?” he asked slowly, a hint of a dangerous growl in his voice that boded nothing but ill. The host lifted very round, almost exaggeratingly so eyes at him, looking thunderstruck.  
  
“My, didn’t you know? The whole point of this event is to give our youth the opportunity to get a glimpse of high-class society’s joys, help them socialize with children who stand at their level! Who knows, your boy here might very well be stumbling upon soon-to-be associates of his today, or even meet his future fiancée!” he explained, casting Goro a playful wink until his features subdued as he addressed Shidou again. “All of this was explained in the invitation, sir…”  
  
“Was it now…” he murmured, his fist tightening slightly before he considered the teenager, and through his stupefied mind, Goro could practically sense the gears inside of Shidou’s head turn and grind against one another, give birth to an idea the likes of which Goro was physically unable to fathom, let alone register—  
  
“Is there a problem, sir? Perhaps you are not comfortable with crowds of teenage youths? I assure you they are all well-behaved, as the daughters and sons of the elite should be,” the host assured, and Shidou clicked his tongue in annoyance. Obviously, some point was being missed, hard.  
  
“I have no doubt,” Shidou replied curtly before turning to Goro again, who couldn’t help a difficult swallow. “Well, let’s go already.”  
  
He took a step forward and, noticing Goro wasn’t following behind, glanced over his shoulder at him, frown plain with impatience. “What are you standing there for? You don’t want to miss the chance to meet those promising youths, do you?”  
  
Goro remained rooted to the spot, blinking at him once, then twice. He had no idea what was happening… but even through his astonishment, he could tell Shidou’s unspoken command through his gaze.  
  
_“Play along for now.”__  
__  
_Slowly, warily, Goro approached. It was only when he was finally level with him that Shidou began striding again, the host exclaiming a joyful “Enjoy yourselves!” to their backs. The sight before them took on the form of a sumptuous reception hall, buzzing with people the sharp suits and elegant dresses of which spelled out what world they belonged to without the need for words. Red velvet carpeted the floor and eight feet tall curtains, while gold accents ornated railings, chandeliers and windows alike. A large buffet upon which sat dishes Goro had at best only heard of throned the room, swarmed by dozens of people who were absorbed in lively conversations. There wasn’t a single hand that wasn’t holding a flute of champagne or some alcohol of any kind – so long as it belonged to an adult, that is. Among men and women, there was at least one offspring accompanying them, some evidently minors, some not. Shidou gazed at it all without much of an expression on his features – clearly, the lavishness of the scene wasn’t too impressive in the face of the wonders his extravagant lifestyle probably had him accustomed to.  
  
“U-Um, Shidou-san…” Goro began awkwardly, darting his eyes everywhere around so as to make sure he was not within anyone’s earshot, “shall I go ahead and scout the place first, so that—”  
  
“What are you talking about?” Shidou cut off, eyes narrowing. “You’re staying with me.”  
  
Goro blinked, not comprehending.  
  
“Staying… with you?” he echoed, gaze slightly unfocused. “But… Didn’t you say earlier we were supposed to act like we didn’t know each—”  
  
“That was before I found out about the little _theme_ this party has going on,” Shidou interrupted, not bothering to even hide the traces of scorn lacing his speech, before it dissolved very slightly. “But, there might be some benefits to playing along with this farce. You’d be able to listen in to my conversations without rousing suspicion at all, for starters.”  
  
A silence went by, only mere seconds in reality, longer than hours in Goro’s perception. This turn of events felt surreal, completely absurd – and with all that, almost like a childish dream come true. “And… you are all right with that, Shidou-san…? With me pretending to be your… your…”  
  
Shidou opened his mouth, but didn't get the chance to answer. More people were coming in and brushing past them, potentially jeopardizing the credibility of their plan before they even got to act on it. The curious glances they received, at any rate, were hardly subtle, prompting Shidou to start into long strides toward the main festivities. Goro startled, and had to practically trot to keep up with Shidou’s pace.  
  
“Um, Shidou-san… Are we, are we really doing thi—” he couldn’t help but stammer, his mind still struggling to catch up with whatever was happening right now. His attempt to argue, however, was cut short by a flute of champagne being suddenly handed to him.  
  
“Good afternoon,” the waiter said, accompanying his greeting with a short bow. “Welcome to the party.”  
  
The lack of response he elicited made the waiter look up. Goro threw Shidou a hesitant glance, which he responded to with an unreadable one before parting his lips. “He doesn’t drink alcohol. He’s not of age yet.”  
  
“Is that so?” the waiter replied, flashing Goro a kind smile before turning to Shidou again. “Well, we have a variety of non-alcoholic drinks over there at the buffet. I am sure your son will find something to his convenience.”  
  
“Glad to hear it,” Shidou said in an almost bored tone while accepting a flute of his own – Goro remained frozen stiff, jaw hanging slightly – and dismissing the waiter with a jerk of his head. His expression gave nothing away even as he turned to face the teenager. “How long are you going to stand there for? Let’s get a move on already.”  
  
Goro stood, contemplating him for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, but eventually… he complied. His wariness apparent in both expression and gait, he followed after Shidou, who headed straight for the buffet. But judging from his narrow gaze directed at the important-looking, sharp-dressed guest engrossed in a conversation with a man that seemed a bit puny by comparison, it wasn't the numerous hors d'œuvres and other delicacies that had caught his well-trained eye.  
  
“—and when I asked him this favor, he told me he would look into it at once—only to desert me and run off to associate with Sugimura’s business! Can you believe the nerve?”  
  
Given the dramatically offended look on the listener's face, the complainer might as well have discussed human torture in excruciating detail. A flow of 'Absolutely's' and 'That's right's' ensued alongside fervent nods as the tirade went on. Goro's gaze rocked back and forth between the two men and Shidou, who seemed to be waiting for an opening – an opening that took much less time than expected to present itself.  
  
“Well, he can do whatever he pleases! It is not a big loss, anyway—in fact, I am glad to be rid of him. You know how skilled I am at judging characters, and something about him has always rubbed me the wrong way. In hindsight, I am not surprised he turned his back on me overnight, there was always something shifty about—”  
  
Whatever the man was going to say next came instead in the form of a small exclamation of surprise. Reaching out to grab a caviar delicacy, he accidentally knocked a lonely drink off the buffet, causing it to splash all over the floor, and nearly on Shidou's shoes as well – hadn't he recoiled backward at the very last moment.   
  
“My, aren’t I the clumsy one! Come on, waiter, give this mess a wipe instead of staying rooted to the spot, will you?” the man chortled at the nearest staff, before finally glancing up at Shidou. “I suppose I owe you an apology, my good man.”  
  
The raised eyebrow on Shidou’s part made it plain this overfriendliness didn’t exactly fit his idea of a proper expression of regret; his response was a simple jerk of the head, barely passing for an acknowledging nod. The man seemed entirely unfazed by this, or given his toothy grin, perhaps even oblivious to it. There was an undeniable spark of interest lit up in his eyes, but he didn’t seem keen on making the first move just yet – he merely surveyed Shidou with a remarkably lucid gaze concealed beneath the joyfulness, as if he were sizing him up before pronouncing judgement on whether or not Shidou was a man worthy of being addressed with something slightly better than inappropriate paternalism.  
  
“That won't be necessary,” Shidou replied, features for his part unfathomable. “It happens to the best of us. Even to the president of Triple Seven himself.”  
  
It was like a switch was flipped on. Where floated a mild expression of politeness instantaneously evolved into an utter mixture of contentment and pride. “Oho, recognized me despite the mask, didn’t you? I suppose this is bound to happen, as the CEO of Japan's leading convenience stores. I am glad to stumble upon someone who appears to be a connoisseur.”   
  
“I'm honored,” Shidou said simply, finally cracking a friendly smile as he accepted the president's hand and gave it a cordial shake.  
  
“And this here is my associate—we've had a good run together ever since I entered Triple Steven, didn't we, old boy?” the president explained as his friend muttered a greeting to Shidou, or at least what Goro assumed to be a greeting given that he couldn't make it out very well through the withdrawn man’s barely moving lips. “A fascinating story, but it would take the entire afternoon to tell, I'm afraid!”  
  
He let his words hang in the air, as if to hook Shidou into yearning for nothing else in life but beg him to share his story, lest his existence be incomplete otherwise. Goro couldn't help a tiny smirk, finding this circus act rather entertaining – that man thought himself a high-up, but even the biggest of dogs turned into an insignificant pup when pitted against a lion. It was a shame he couldn’t realize—  
  
“And who might you be, young man?”   
  
And like a sink plug was removed, Goro’s inner amusement at the president’s expense went down the drain in a flash – he straightened at once and met the man’s piercing, inquisitive gaze. Goro swallowed, eyes shooting back and forth between his interlocutor and Shidou in an obvious call of distress. He had no idea what he was supposed to say, what he was _allowed_ to say, managing only a foolish stammer. He had to get ahold of himself, and fast; he shouldn’t be acting like an intimidated child, he interacted with adults every single day, he had done this thousands of times before—  
  
“Forgive my son's rudeness. He has a tendency to have his head in the clouds.”  
  
Goro felt like he had just been struck by lightning again – except thousands of volts instead of a mere hundred. He just stood there, eyes wide open, jaw dropped low, mind scrambling to make sense of the millions of facts traveling through every last cell, before simply shutting down on the spot.  
  
“Your son, eh? He's lucky to have the chance to meet the finest of Tokyo's high society today,” the president replied lightly, possibly mistaking Goro's astonishment for flattering awe. “What are you doing in life, young man?”   
  
Goro managed to catch the most subtle nod on Shidou's part before focusing on the man again. The signal had been encouraging, but saying he was feeling at ease was a mere assumption, not a fact. “I… I am a third-year high school student.”  
  
“Oh? You are a bit younger than my own son, then,” the man remarked as he swept his eyes across the surroundings. “I don't know where he has run off to… He's probably busy trying to woo some young lady!”   
  
A booming chortle escaped his throat, which Goro responded to with a smile that was motivated more by politeness than genuine amusement. Shidou, for his part, remained entirely stone-faced. If Goro hadn’t been so busy giving himself mental jabs for losing the long-practiced composure he was so proud of, he might have noticed that Shidou’s thin gaze focused only on the withdrawn man.  
  
“I must say, you've sparked my interest, dear boy,” the president went on, eyeing Goro like he was some kind of curiosity. “You've got the looks, and I can tell from your speech and mannerisms that you've been blessed with a good education. How do you fare at school? I'll have you know, my son made it to the top 100 of his year when he graduated, among over a thousand students!”  
  
The outburst of ego was so point-blank Goro couldn't help a blink. It was easy to figure out the motivation behind it – in the world of the powerful, it was all about surpassing peers and outclassing rivals through any medium, be it wealth, standing… or offspring. In that man’s eyes, Shidou was currently a contender, someone to shock and awe into submission by parading around everything that he believed made him stand above. Yes, Goro could sense it perfectly, this silent intent where competitiveness lay at its core… A concept he was all too familiar with, ever since the moment his plan began years ago.  
  
“…I do rather well for myself,” he answered stiffly, unsure what else to add. The man parted his lips, only to get beaten to the punch.  
  
“Don't be so modest,” Shidou interjected, giving Goro a disapproving look. “Not everyone can claim to consistently rank first in the national mock exams, especially when the college you're aiming for is one of the most selective in Tokyo.”  
  
Once again, all he could do was gape. Shidou averted his gaze from him long before Goro looked away in turn, but his frantic heartbeat and the faint warmth branded into his cheeks only gained in intensity as the minutes went by. The president had laid out a game and Shidou clearly decided two could play at it, and yet… He wasn't sure what flustered him the most. Not only was Shidou aware of his accomplishment even though Goro knew for a fact he had never shared this information with him, but more importantly, more amazingly, Shidou sounded sincere in his praise, like a father boasting the feats of his son… he sounded like he was genuinely proud of him…  
  
“Oho, did I hear that correctly? The national mock exams?” came the president's voice through the deep static that used to be Goro's mind, cutting the withdrawn man’s apparent intention to speak. “Aren't you the honor student type! You must have worked relentlessly day in, day out to achieve such results!”  
  
An intimidating, almost manic expression permeated his features, the kind Goro imagined would show in those of an art collector upon being presented with a particularly rare – and much coveted – masterpiece. It wasn’t the first time somebody treated him closer to an inanimate but very valuable object than a human being. Usually able to shake off the unpleasantness of the experience and sport a confident manner in response, Goro couldn’t help a slight flush in that instant, feeling like a child against an overwhelmingly cooing stranger. He could sense Shidou’s stare upon him.  
  
“Um, I do study a bit even in my spare time…” he replied, unable to conceal a sheepish, nervous smile as he glanced from the red carpet to his interlocutor in quick succession. The president seemed about to speak up in clear amazement when—  
  
“He does work very hard. It's no easy task, but his efforts always pay off. I do believe there is a bright future ahead of him at this rate, one of his own making.”  
  
The way Shidou looked at him – wearing a proud little smile, a smile that approved of him, of his entire existence, a _true_ smile – felt like a spell was cast upon the scene. He couldn't tear his captivated gaze away, sensing the praise rush through his veins like life-granting water given to the dying, consuming his very being until every last cell was gone… But no, he was being a fool, it was obvious Shidou was merely putting up an act for the sake of their charade, he didn't mean a single word he was spewing, _that bastard—  
  
_Then again, as he kept observing him, Goro couldn't help but wonder – was it really possible to fake the incontestable glint of pride shining beyond that mask?  
  
“My, my, isn’t that endearing,” the president said in a jovial tone of voice, and there was something so foreign about using this choice of words to describe one of his interactions with Shidou of all people that Goro momentarily remained rooted to the spot. “I wish you luck in your endeavors then, my boy—and don’t forget to thank your father every day for raising you into such a promising youth.”  
  
A giant jolt wracked Goro’s stomach, swift and sudden like the unexpected slash of a knife. When he replied, his insides felt tightly contracted. “I… I won’t. Thank you, sir.”  
  
The smile upon his lips had never felt so fake even to himself. He just hoped his bow was deep enough to entirely conceal it.  
  
“Well, we shouldn’t monopolize your time any longer," came Shidou's cordial voice, causing Goro to tilt his head to the side at the sudden haste. He could hear the smile in his tone, but years of experience allowed him not to be easily fooled – he knew his own façade had found itself a serious rival. "A good day to you and your associate.”  
  
Under a shower of congratulations for raising such a prim and proper boy alongside the hopes to meet again, Shidou jerked his head slightly – Goro's cue to bow one last time in respect before scampering after him. Shidou's pace was brisk, to the point that Goro almost had to trot behind lest he lose him in the crowd.  
  
“Shidou-san," he began, not really sure how to proceed, "why did we leave in such a hurry? We barely got any information out of—”  
  
“We learned plenty enough,” Shidou cut off without bothering to look at him. “The bitterness and envy were an unexpected factor, but I trust we can use it to our advantage—with results beyond all expectations.”  
  
Goro’s eyes took on a very big, very round shape. The slight smirk hovering on Shidou's face alongside his words practically spelled out something had gotten past him. “Bitterness and envy…? He didn't especially strike me as the jealous type… He looked rather like a happy-go-lucky, jovial man—”  
  
“I am not talking about Triple Seven's president. Didn't you notice the look in his associate's eyes each time he spoke? He was glaring daggers at him the entire conversation.”  
  
"He was…?” Goro said in disbelief, wracking his brains for any hint he might have overlooked, only to come up blank. The snort on Shidou's part conveyed nothing else so much as pure arrogance and disdain.  
  
“It is like watching a king order his buffoon to dance. The buffoon complies, forcing a smile against the gibs and quips, boiling with anger in reality. Every buffoon's dream is to overturn the king one day… and this is exactly what we are going to help that one do.”   
  
Shidou's manner shifted – it took on the air of a conqueror, of someone who held the world in the palm of their hand and knew it. Goro had witnessed this sight countless times before and even so, he couldn't help but feel a bit awed.   
  
“I expect unwavering loyalty and a strong source of financial contributions given the magnitude of the favor. Manipulating him will be child’s play once he finds out about the identities of his mysterious benefactors, that is certain.”  
  
Goro stared, his lips disappearing into a thin line. The awe brimming his mind was inexorably turning to something even higher, not that he was happy feeling this way. He didn’t want to feel anything except pure scorn for Shidou, because this man was his worst enemy, the person he hated from the bottom of his heart – but even as he desperately tried to deny it, his true thoughts betrayed him. Being one step ahead at all times, predicting each outcome with frightening accuracy, possessing an almost supernatural intuition allowing him to sense victory itself and the stepping stones that would pave his path toward it… Shidou was truly a formidable man. Frightening, awe-inspiring… part of the great.  
  
“Still… Is it worth the trouble?” Goro asked, as cautiously as one would be upon handling a volatile bomb. “Doesn't the president of Triple Seven seem like a more secure source of—”  
  
“Hmph, that man is a fool. He seems more interested in whatever imbecilities his good-for-nothing son is up to than any business talk,” Shidou interrupted, accompanying his contempt with another snort. “There's no need to bother with him—especially when he's about to get removed from the picture very soon. We'll need—”   
  
But Goro wasn't listening anymore, despite knowing much better. The annoyance pervading Shidou's words as he mentioned the president's son was high and cutting, making his personal opinion on the matter crystal clear – not to mention painting an equally vivid picture of what the ideal son ought to behave in his demanding eyes. While he managed to suppress the tiny, sheepish smile threatening to show on his lips, Goro still felt his chest give a swell of pride.  
  
“So, how are you holding up?”  
  
The question came fast, so unexpectedly Goro stopped in his tracks on instinct. Shidou paused as well, an inquisitive look showing on his severe features while he glanced over his shoulder at him.  
  
“What… do you mean?” Goro asked, confusion and wariness mingling across his speech in equal parts.  
  
“You seemed uncharacteristically nervous during our little charade with Triple Seven's president,” Shidou remarked matter-of-factly as he resumed his stride. “You struck me as a better actor than that.”   
  
Nonchalantly, he skirted around a coffee table nearby and sat down on a velvety red couch. An ash tray had been left for the guests' convenience, which he wasted no time in sliding toward himself. Goro, for his part, remained standing still, arms tense and fists tight. Narrow maroon eyes reflected the picture of a carefree Shidou lighting up a cigarette, but Goro had never felt so little like relaxing than in that very moment.  
  
“Hence why I am rather surprised,” Shidou went on, throwing his head back and releasing a long puff of smoke. “Given your experience with pretending on a daily basis.”   
  
“I am not… pretending anything…!” Goro hissed back through gritted teeth, looking very much like he had been personally insulted. His outrage was such that he was forgetting who he was addressing, a very dangerous mistake for more reasons than one, but nothing seemed currently less insignificant in his eyes, not when Shidou was questioning his very self, acting like he actually _knew_ him deep down—  
  
“Really now? Take my apologies then, instead of throwing a temper tantrum like a child,” Shidou quipped curtly, waving his hand in dismissal. “And sit down already. People are watching.”  
  
And like on command, the blinding anger possessing Goro lifted, deep lines and furrows shifting to an expression of pure surprise. A hurried glance over his shoulder confirmed that indeed, a couple of guests were throwing a look at the scene as they passed by. Embarrassment flooding the trails left by his previous outburst, Goro muttered too quiet an apology to be truly heard and hastened to take a seat beside Shidou, gaze fixed upon his lap and hands clasping his knees. An uncomfortable silence went by before he mustered the courage to risk Shidou a glance, his nervousness immediately stepping aside for surprised confusion as he realized Shidou's features were devoid of disapproving creases, only letting imperturbable nothingness show through.  
  
“…Anyway, I am rather pleased with how this conversation turned out overall,” Shidou said, his eyes narrowing slightly as they followed a tall, bespectacled man stride toward the exit, accompanied by a poofy-haired, elegant and delicate-looking girl who could only be his daughter. “Let's keep it up and we will gather a handful of allies in no time.”  
  
Goro didn't know how to respond to that and settled only for a nod. The ice standing between him and Shidou felt like a wall, growing thicker and stronger as the minutes ticked by. It wasn't like he had no idea what to say – rather, he wasn't sure whether he was _allowed_ to say it…  
  
“Weren't you afraid he would ask who you were…?”   
  
In the end, however, the question swirling over and over inside his head managed to slip by his lips, a screaming thought conveyed by a meek murmur. Shidou raised an eyebrow, though it was so subtle Goro very well might have imagined it. “Why do you ask?”   
  
“Well, if he had, you would have had no choice but to tell him…” Goro explained, his palms feeling slightly damp all of a sudden. “You would have told him your name, and he would have definitely found out sooner or later that I am not your… your…”   
  
It was as though the word was stuck in his throat. Even if he physically pried it out, he felt like it wouldn't leave as anything but a garbled babble. Fortunately, Shidou got the gist.  
  
“A good thing that didn't happen then," he replied flatly – Goro couldn't help but flinch, although he was almost certain he hid it well enough to escape Shidou's notice. “But even if it had, this wouldn't be a big deal. I would have seized the opportunity for all its worth.”   
  
It felt like the world stopped mid-motion in that one moment. People paused in their tracks. All sounds ceased. Even human breathing came to a halt.  
  
Goro's eyes were wide open, focusing ahead without seeing anything. His parted lips bore a silent disbelief frozen in time, perpetually stuck even as each syllable carried an incomprehension too insane to be translated through speech: _“Does he mean what I think he means? Is he saying that he wouldn't mind… that he wouldn't be ashamed of…”   
  
_The room felt unbearably hot. He couldn't tell for sure it had been this way when they first arrived.  
  
“Well, let's go,” Shidou announced, either unmoved or oblivious to Goro's inner turmoil, looking much more interested in the festivities as they went on. He swept his eyes across the room, stopping them on a guest who was seated at a table and savoring what seemed to be a very refined meal. A girl was staying by his side, apparently bored out of her mind given her heavy-lidded eyes and her vacant expression.  
  
“I know him. He's the curator of Tokyo's National Art Gallery—another big shot who is said to own a colossal fortune in paintings and other masterpieces. Let's see if he has some skeletons in his closet that we could use to our advantage.”   
  
Suppressing the fleeting smirk that flashed across his face, Shidou paced toward the table where the two guests sat, Goro following closely behind. The curator lifted a mildly intrigued look at their arrival, his full mouth forbidding him to express his curiosity through speech just yet. The girl, for her part, only bothered with the quickest of glances before averting her gaze – a motion she nearly instantaneously backpedaled on as her big, serious eyes pierced Goro's with all their might.  
  
“Good afternoon. May we sit here for a bit?” Shidou asked without smiling, gesturing at the empty seats rounding the table. The man swallowed and acquiesced silently, but as he was already directing another mouthful of food toward his face, Goro could tell he was throwing Shidou an askew glance.  
  
“What do you want to drink?” Shidou asked, and it took Goro several instants to realize he was the one being addressed. He blinked a couple of times, thrown off-guard for what felt like the hundredth time today.  
  
“O-Oh, um… Water is fine,” he muttered, unsure whether he was expected to order alcohol to feign greater maturity or stick to what he was allowed to. Shidou's impenetrable features provided him with no answer.  
  
“Water it is, then,” he echoed as he stopped a waiter in his tracks and muttered a quick order. Their drinks arrived only minutes later, and as Shidou took a couple of gulps, the man finally spoke out.  
  
“Nice watch you got there,” he grunted, fixing Shidou's wrist with beady, somewhat bloodshot eyes. “Not a lot of those floating around.”   
  
“There is about a thousand across the world,” Shidou replied conversationally, but Goro could tell that beyond the apparent casual tone hid a sense of triumph. Once again, another fish fell into Shidou's net, hook, line and sinker; the seeds of awe inside Goro's mind didn't take long to bloom again.  
  
“I could tell. Manufacturer takes pride in being exclusive,” came the man's response, his gaze finally lifting to look into Shidou's. “Looks like you and I have some things in common.”   
  
As poised as his manner was, it was no use. His mask, while imposing in its extravagance, did only a very precarious job at hiding the shine of interest permeating his features. He finally dropped his fork and gestured at the girl, who seemed to have been on the edge of speech the entire time. “This here is my daughter. Say hello, girlie.”  
  
Goro thought the giggling fit that ensued could hardly pass for a proper greeting even if he were very generous, although he made sure not to let that assessment bleed into his kind smile; it took several more moments before she finally spoke up. However, the dainty laughter punctuating her introduction was such that Goro couldn't quite catch her name.  
  
“Good girl,” her father said stoically, his expression unchanging. “I take it the kid is your son?”  
  
And once again, Goro felt this jolt of electricity course through his very being, snapping him back to reality as effectively as his bed being thrown from a skyscraper by way of an alarm clock. His pulse ringing across his ears like a frantic drum, he made to reply something – stutter it, more accurately – but—  
  
“That's right. I thought it a good opportunity that he accompanies me given the theme of today's gathering.”  
  
Shidou hadn't even betrayed a blink; both speech and face remained natural like a renowned actor who had perfected his role throughout his entire life. Goro couldn't tear his eyes off him, stupefaction coursing through his very core like some kind of mad cocktail, mind rushing wild with insane possibilities he was afraid of even entertaining because he just knew there was no way – and yet… and yet…  
  
Could it be he had been mistaken all along? Could it be he wouldn't be seen as a mere disgrace in Shidou's eyes were he to know the truth, witness nothing but pride eclipsing his severe gaze? Could it be he actually wasn't something to be ashamed of, neither an embarrassment nor a blemish on that man's life?  
  
Could it be Shidou Masayoshi would genuinely accept him – welcome him back – as his dear, beloved son if he revealed their true connection to him right here, right now?  
  
“—yeah, I got a nose for the valuable and go to great lengths to acquire it. This earned me tons of nasty rumors, but what can I say? People are quick to resent those who actually put some effort in whatever they undertake while _they_ only laze all day long. They'd be amazed by how much they can accomplish if they put this precious time of theirs to actual good use. That's what I've been teaching my girl all my life, and I gotta say she does a damn fine job at enforcing it.”  
  
Goro blinked, chasing his enrapturing thoughts away to witness the girl give another giggle. He caught a fluttering of eyelashes for a split second before it fleeted to the curator. “Oh, Daddy!”  
  
Her delighted sigh was akin to those Goro's fangirls usually breathed out whenever they swooned over him. He couldn't pretend he especially enjoyed the reminder.  
  
“Anyway, what about you? You don't strike me as the businessman type,” the curator went on, finally redirecting his entire attention on Shidou, who had relaxed into a more casual posture. “If I had to guess, I'd say you were—what is it? You're bouncing all over the place.”  
  
'Bouncing all over the place' was one way to put it. The curator's daughter seemed to alternate between seating and jumping on the spot alongside giggles here and there, her manner so hyper it was almost a feat to keep up with her. What her father got in response was an answer pouring out of her mouth so fast Goro practically caught none of it, though he did manage to pick up the words 'gentleman' and 'charming' amidst her jumbled mess of words and howls of laughter.  
  
“…Looks like my daughter wants to spend time with you,” her father translated, stoic features falling upon Goro whose brow felt slightly damp all of a sudden. “You'll do her this favor, will you?”  
  
The underlying meaning of the request wasn't exactly subtle – in fact, it was screaming loud and clear. Goro hesitated, caught in the middle of an argument involving one part of him that really wanted to ask the man if this was his idea of a joke, the other part commanding to just plaster his usual agreeable smile on and accept the task with a deep bow. In the end, though, he would have no say in this – he knew it would be Shidou who would have the last word.  
  
“…Go on and entertain that young lady for a bit,” he finally said after a moment of consideration, and Goro’s first reaction was utter surprise followed by a downcast gaze. “I am counting on you to show her a pleasant time, Goro.”  
  
For a moment, Goro was certain he had misheard. He did a double take, mouth opening and closing silently just like a fish. It seemed as though his faculty of speech had been stolen away, leaving in its stead the mute bewilderment of a boy whose limits of disbelief kept being pushed further and further back beyond frontiers he never thought could even be possible. As his heart seemed to hurl itself against his ribs, his sense of self-preservation was kicking in, yelling at him not to fall for it, screaming at him how Shidou was simply acting for the sake of that stupid masquerade of theirs, it meant nothing, absolutely nothing, it didn’t matter that someone finally called him by his first name after what felt like his entire lifetime, that _Shidou_ called him by his first name after an entire lifetime, it didn’t matter at all—  
  
“Are you listening? Goro?”  
  
Shidou’s voice cut through his thoughts, but even that was too harsh a way to put it – there was no sharpness of a knife at work here, no severity, rudeness or even impatience; all that pervaded through the question was simple confusion like any person would show when faced with a complete lack of response. Goro met this gaze, which was not smiling but not frowning either, and the lock keeping his heart from speaking out that forbidden word, the one word he was yearning to whisper from his very core, began to crack.  
  
“Yes… F-Fa… Fa…” he stammered, pulse faster than it felt when he was in the other world, breathing catching in his throat worse than during the first time he killed; he wanted to say it but his voice was failing him and even so, he wouldn’t give in, he _would_ mutter what his heart was screaming, “F-Fath—”   
  
“It’s settled then!” the girl bubbled out of nowhere, tangling her arm around Goro’s and leading him away as effortlessly as if he were made of feathers. “See you soon, Daddy!”  
  
Goro remained stock-still; with the way she was practically carrying him, one might almost believe she was dragging some kind of lifeless furniture along with her. Or so believed the distant thought wriggling into his short-circuited mind.  
  
“Heehee, I’m so happy you accepted to accompany me! To be honest, Daddy brought me to this party to find a potential fiancé, but all the boys here are so boring and… plain! And that’s only for the best of the bunch, if we can even call it that! But to think there was such a pearl among the swine all along—I can’t fathom how glad I am that I decided to come! We’re going to have plenty of fun—”  
  
When some semblance of awareness finally came back to him, Goro found out that he was being surrounded by dozens of people, each accompanied by a partner under the eyes of a cheerful crowd and worse, an orchestra. The conductor rose, bowed, and as thundering applause burst out, raised his baton. It was only then that realization dawned on him, alongside a good dose of dismay which took on an even sharper increase as the girl intertwined her fingers into his with an iron grip, while her other hand clasped his arm like he were a life preserver.  
  
“W-Wait! I’m, I’m not a very good dancer and—” he stuttered, but he might as well try to reason with a brick wall. The moment the refined notes of a valse echoed all across the room, Goro was practically yanked off his feet and forced to follow into a hectic dance, feeling very much like a toy being twirled and steered around.  
  
“Aren’t we—Aren’t we going a bit too fast?” he asked breathlessly, catching the other dancers who were but a mere blur at that point. “I, I mean, the music is much slo—”  
  
“You don’t get it! At a party like this where everyone is on a high ground, the key is to stand out, don’t you think so?”  
  
Goro didn’t have time to figure out how to respond to that before the girl clasped his hand tighter and led the way with even more frenzy, forcing the other couples to step aside so as to avoid any collision. Sure enough, her method seemed to bear fruit just fine – most people were watching like one would admire a miracle, each face wearing a similar level of wonder that only an otherworldly show could hope to equally entice. Ears and back of the neck feeling very warm, Goro quickly averted his eyes to focus on not tripping all over the place. He_ didn’t _actually think himself a bad dancer – this was surprisingly an exceptionally important skill to have given the kind of people he usually meddled with on a daily basis, a skill he made a point to hone as much as possible like everything else – but the awkwardness of the situation remained whole. He couldn’t exactly claim he was out of his element, being used to fancy parties and such, but being dragged off to dance without any prior notice in front of an overwhelming crowd with an unknown girl too forceful for him to handle was another story altogether. He had difficulty remembering the last time the boundaries of his comfort zone had been so thoroughly stretched back… or utterly destroyed, more like.  
  
Eventually, however, the feelings swarming his mind shifted. Minutes felt closer to hours as the ordeal went on, and with each twirl, each drop, each spin, Goro’s inner discomfort melted away. What replaced it was the beginning of resentment – then outright rage.  
  
Shidou… He truly saw him as nothing but a tool, didn’t he?  
  
A tool to be used for his own bidding, never mind the discomfort or reluctance it could feel. A tool that was less than human, destined only to advance whatever goals he had in mind, from the most mundane to the unspeakable. Goro had signed up for this, he was all too aware – and even so, he had entertained the idea many more times than he cared to admit, had truly ended up convincing himself that he was somehow important in Shidou’s eyes… and yet, here he was. Dancing in the palm of the king’s hand like the very buffoon Shidou described mere moments earlier, in all the senses of the world.  
  
The day of his victory couldn’t come soon enough. The day when he would finally triumph over him, the day when this entire charade would come to an end. The day when Akechi Goro would relish in spelling out to Shidou Masayoshi exactly who he was – and who he wasn’t.  
  
Not just a gun. Not just a tool.  
Not just a puppet.  
  
“Ah~That was so much fun!”  
  
As the gloom consuming Goro’s mind was sinking further into complete darkness, the happiness radiating off the girl seemed to glow as bright as the sun itself. She did a long, dramatic curtsy at him and then at the crowd, who burst into applause so great Goro was almost certain it could be heard beyond the walls. His head was spinning, but hers clearly wasn't; her slight panting and the visible beads of sweat across her face unfortunately didn’t seem to put a damper on her enthusiasm and she seized him by the arm, hauling him to a more secluded area filled with extravagant-looking booths. Every last one of them was occupied by couples, Goro noticed. He swallowed hard.  
  
“Let’s sit here for a bit,” she chirped, lowering herself gracefully onto the nearest vacant sofa, closing the gap between them the second he followed her example. “I kind of want to know you better, heehee!”  
  
It took every last ounce of Goro’s willpower to conceal a grimace and plaster an uneven smile on top of it. “D-Do you now…”  
  
“Mhm!” she hummed, her grip upon his arm so tight he was certain his circulation was being cut off. She nestled her cheek against his shoulder and rubbed vigorously, almost like a child would with a reluctant pet. “I mean, it’s only natural, after we shared that dance!”  
  
Goro really wanted to say it had been less about sharing and more about forcibly giving and unwillingly taking, but he repressed the urge before it could cross his lips. He wasn’t unfamiliar with women of all ages fawning over him to the point of being overwhelming, but he couldn’t help thinking his most fierce and zealous fangirls had found a serious contender. It would truly end in a bloodbath if any of them was here right now, witnessing some random girl cling to him like she was ready to announce their wedding and already prepare their honeymoon afterwards. And while he possessed a miraculous excuse he used and abused many times in his daily life, – truly a perk of being a famous detective turned celebrity – there was no such convenient escape trick up his sleeve in that moment, not when nobody was supposed to find out about his true identity…  
  
“So, Goro-chan—that’s what your father called you, I think—it’s okay if I call you Goro-chan, right?” she asked, causing him to jolt – half because of the mention of his ‘father,’ half because of how embarrassing the name was. He could feel the sweat build up over his back. “Tell me about yourself! Your hobbies, your favorite food, what kind of music you like, your zodiac sign—I’m a Pisces, by the way! You?”  
  
“Uh… Um…” was all Goro found to say in response, not feeling exactly smart; he had absolutely no idea which way to turn, not to mention how to keep up with the incredible rate she was firing her questions away. “Well, I’m—”  
  
“And you have to tell me what kind of activities you do in your spare time! I mean, I can feel your muscles, you must look so well-built under your tuxedo! I bet you do a lot of sports to look so lean!”  
  
“U-Um, not that much, actually… Just a bit of cycling and boulder—”  
  
_“I knew it!”_ she cut off, practically shrieking with glee into his ear. “I like a guy who takes care of himself, you know?”  
  
She hadn’t spoken so much as purred. He could see a mischievous glint shimmer across her eyes. “Tell me, do you have a job? All the guys I’ve met are just leeches who have spent their entire lives sponging off their parents! Ugh, they’re the worst! But I bet you’re not like them, Goro-chan, are you?”  
  
Her expectant tone of voice left very little musing as to what kind of answer she wanted to hear. Goro parted and closed his lips in hesitation, nearly slipping up and revealing too much; with the knowledge of his first name and his daylight occupation, finding out who he really was would be child’s play if she were to look him up. For the sake of preserving Shidou and himself, he couldn’t afford to make one single mistake, but…  
  
“—a professional violin player? A medical student? A CEO in the making? A fashion model?”  
  
Her ramblings showed no sign of dying down anytime soon, threatening to completely overcome him at this rate. His quick thinking was fortunately intact, however, allowing him to jump on the opportunity she had given him unbeknownst to her.  
  
“You got me,” he said alongside a bashful chuckle, raising his free hand in feigned admittance of defeat. “I do modelling in my spare time.”  
  
He very well might have asked for her hand in marriage given the squeal she let out, so loud that many heads turned to witness the cause of the commotion. Regret instantaneously wiped away the little curve that was supposed to be Goro’s smile before he hurriedly fixed it back on.  
  
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this! I can’t believe I’m talking to an actual model!” she cheered, pressing her hands hard against her cheeks in sheer delight before sticking her face even closer to his once more. “You must appear in tons of magazines, right? On TV, on billboards, and, and—for all I know, I’ve seen your pictures in real life and I have no idea!”  
  
Akin to a jack-in-the-box, her hand sprang out of nowhere toward his mask – Goro had to crane his neck back to avoid her grasp, catching her wrist in as gentle a grip as possible while still being firm enough to stop her in her tracks. The girl blinked her huge eyes a couple of times, pure surprise hovering on her features.  
  
“A-Ah, I’m sorry,” Goro said with a very awkward chuckle, hoping his grin didn’t look as forced as it felt. “I, I’d rather not take off my mask now… This is one of the rare times when I can enjoy a moment’s respite, so…”  
  
This was all it took to send the girl into a blushing mess and she immediately released him, hands waving hard in denegation. Goro was actually pleased she had the decency to look embarrassed; this was quite unexpected from her. “O-Oh! Of course, Goro-chan! I totally understand where you’re coming from! Sorry, I wasn’t thinking…”  
  
Her behavior was a complete turnaround from her cheery self; she seemed more withdrawn and shy, eyes downcast and hands gripping her knees in shame. Goro responded with a slightly more genuine laugh intended to be reassuring – a part of him felt a little bad for her – and he opened his mouth to speak, when—  
  
“Oh, but this is such a shame… To think I might have found the one, and this is how it turns out…”  
  
Goro stopped, lips still frozen into a silly smile. He had a bad feeling all of a sudden.  
  
“You know, Daddy has always told me I was like a princess… and I’ve believed him ever since I was born. My life is just like a princess’ after all—beautiful clothes, luxurious homes, endless money to spend… But there’s one thing I’ve been missing this entire time to be a true princess.”  
  
A moment of silence passed. Goro’s throat felt somehow really dry.  
  
“I mean, no princess is complete without her prince, right? And guys like that are so hard to come by, but I think… I think I’ve finally found one. The one, actually, so… If I can’t see your face, can I at least have…  
  
Their gazes finally met. Hers was shiny, almost teary in fact, the picture of innocence; his was summed up by a twitchy smile and a cold layer of sweat sticking to his hair. She couldn’t possibly be serious… could she?  
  
But then she closed her eyes and edged closer to his face, and that was enough of an answer – yes, she definitely was serious. Cheeks feeling like someone lit them on fire, Goro instinctively pulled back, finding it more and more difficult to keep his smile intact, but his attempt at dodging her was met with two hands cupping his face gently and holding him in place. He startled, heart going from pounding to outright hammering, mind scrambling to figure out what in the world he was supposed to do. He didn’t want this, he never did, his instinct screamed at him to just push her back and he nearly raised his hand to do so, only to hear Shidou’s voice echo inside his head, sharp and vivid like he were whispering in his ear.  
  
_“I am counting on you to show her a pleasant time, Goro.”  
  
_He didn’t know what to do anymore – everything felt like confusing spirals had taken over his mind, jumbling out his thoughts, messing up his faculty to reason, rummaging through each line and order and rendering them a chaotic, cluttered tangle. His heart knew what it wanted and didn’t, but the last filament of rationality keeping his mind afloat was commanding otherwise, overpowering and snuffing out his own opinion on the matter in a quick, one-sided battle. He couldn’t afford to go against Shidou’s wishes, he just couldn’t… He had to endure it and do as he was told, because Shidou would always come first and foremost; everything else was secondary, be it Goro’s own convictions, feelings… or even his very self. This was all for the sake of his plan, of his revenge, of this cold dish he was dying to finally taste – getting cold feet now was never an option. He had been a fool for even entertaining the idea. For the time being, he would keep playing into Shidou’s hands, with the knowledge that their roles would soon be reversed as a way to sustain his strength of mind.  
  
…Even so, he didn’t like it.  
  
He knew he swore to give Shidou everything he wanted, and Shidou took this promise very much to heart; lie, cheat, betray, kill, anything went. Still, there was one thing Shidou never took from him, and he was grateful for it. Goro’s dignity had always remained intact, through and through. Until that one moment.  
  
Shidou was basically asking him to throw it away, to discard the last ounce of self-respect he had worked hard to preserve. It didn’t come off as a surprise at all; really, that was expected, given the kind of person Shidou was. He was never one to care about the personal morals of his subordinates. Not even those of his most devoted ally – his faithful right-hand man.  
  
That’s what he was, right?  
  
Not just some random grunt tasked to do the dirty work. Not just some random henchman sitting at the lowest step of the ladder. Until the day when he would finally prevail and stand tall over him, he would and had always been Shidou’s equal. That, he was certain of.  
  
But he wasn’t so sure anymore that Shidou agreed.  
  
Their lips were but mere inches apart. Goro finally closed his eyes in resigned acceptance, face burning as white-hot as the boiling contempt he felt for Shidou, fueling his desire, his yearning, his craving to finally experience that heavenly day. Rage and hatred rushed through his veins like poison, settling in the pit of his stomach akin to a corrosive acid. He would never forgive him… Not ever…  
  
A very loud clearing of a throat suddenly went off, startling Goro so badly he jumped about a foot in the air. The girl’s reaction was more or less the same, and their heads spun in unison toward the source of the sound. The moment he met his gaze, Goro’s already hectic heartbeat gave a giant jolt before starting into even more violent a race.  
  
“Your father is looking for you,” Shidou said curtly to the girl, eyes narrow as he fixed her without a blink. “He said he wanted you to meet a few people.”  
  
In a rustle of stammers and crimson flushes, she broke away from Goro and jumped to her feet, blurting out timid words of gratitude at Shidou as she scampered away. Shidou followed her from the corner of his eye until she vanished into the crowd, then redirected his sight onto Goro, who couldn’t help a flinch.  
  
“You look disheveled,” Shidou remarked, and Goro couldn’t tell whether to interpret it as a provocation or a display of unexpected sympathy. “I take it she kept you busy.”  
  
Halfway to tidying up his hair blindly, Goro paused. There were thousands of things he wanted to scream at him, but words kept failing him just before the point of no return.  
  
“How far did she go?”  
  
Goro looked up. Maroon eyes locked with amber ones, so different in their shades, yet akin to mirrors in their sharp pupils and narrowed shapes, thin like slits.  
  
“…She didn’t do much. We danced together and talked a bit, then she—you arrived.”  
  
Goro caught himself before his instinct could vocalize what mattered to him the most, but Shidou’s deepening frown was a clear testimony that he saw through him anyway. Then again, the accusatory note in his speech spoke volumes all on its own, no matter how much he had attempted to restrain it.  
  
“Hmph. I suppose this is what we can call good timing, then.”  
  
Goro blinked, his annoyance dissipating in one instant. He wasn’t sure he properly heard.  
  
“Anyway,” Shidou went on before he could inquire about the underlying meaning of that offhand comment, because he knew there was one, “things went well with the art curator. He mentioned to me in passing how he has been forced to deal with several people threatening to expose him for acquiring his masterpieces through illegal means, some of them even claiming they were fake—accusations that he was quick to deny, of course. Well, whether this is true or not is of no concern to us. More importantly, he seemed very interested in figuring out how to get rid of those nuisances. I believe we may have found a potential customer.”  
  
“I understand,” Goro replied, once again chiding himself for internally marveling at how efficient Shidou was without even trying. It was… infuriating.  
  
“We’re making good progress. If we could get hold of one more person of influence, be it their dirt or wishes, I think that would be plenty enough for today,” Shidou said as he turned on his heel, compelling Goro to follow. “Eyes and ears.”  
  
It turned out the continuation of their search for intelligence wasn’t as smooth sailing as it initially started. They wandered around the venue aimlessly, gleaning words of gossip here, imperious chatter there, but the results they sought and expected only seemed to exponentially stray further from them as their efforts rose up – no big name around, no giant fortune, nobody. While Goro took the ensuing frustration in stride, Shidou’s scowl seemed frozen upon his features.  
  
“Tch… Don’t tell me we’ve gone over all our options already,” he grunted, shooting a murderous look at a random passerby who was unlucky enough to meet his gaze in that split second. “What is this party good for if most of the guests are insignificant no-names?”  
  
Goro merely swept his eyes across the surroundings by way of answer, eyebrows knitted closely together. While not as experienced as Shidou, his web of connections was large enough for him to spot potential candidates worthy of their interest; however, amidst the noisy, lively crowd, he couldn’t recognize a single person he knew, much less one of high relevance.  
  
“Would you care for a canapé, dear gentlemen?” came on a voice, and he looked up to find a veritable mountain of colorful pastries obstructing his vision, each more fancy than the last. The waiter standing behind it was smiling an encouraging smile; Goro took one out of politeness, while Shidou declined curtly.  
  
“Thank you for your attendance today,” the waiter went on pleasantly with a small bow of the head, possibly noticing the cold shoulder on Shidou’s part. “I do hope the rest of the festivities will be to your liking.”  
  
“We were about to leave, actually,” Shidou snapped, taking Goro very much aback – and apparently, he wasn’t the only one. The waiter took a step back like Shidou had just spat out a particularly nasty swear.  
  
“Already? My, did something inconvenience you somehow?” he uttered, his eyes a shape so perfectly round it was almost impressive. “Surely you haven’t experienced everything the festivities have to offer—young man, how do you feel about art exhibitions?”  
  
Goro, who had been in the process of chewing the last piece of his canapé, jumped at the sudden turnaround and swallowed a huge chunk the wrong way. He immediately covered his mouth, more in an intent to hide his embarrassing flush than his coughing fit.  
  
“I—they are more often than not a valuable experience, I would say,” he stammered once the last of his sputtering quieted down, – Shidou’s gaze upon him felt heavy – prompting the waiter to noticeably perk up.  
  
“Right you are, sir, right you are—in fact, we were lucky enough to welcome some of the most beautiful sculptures of Europe, right there within our walls, for our guests’ entertainment,” he said brightly, gesturing toward the end of the room where a great banner stood atop a classy double door. “You may proceed this way to the hall exhibit. I believe there will be something that’ll catch your eye—”  
  
“I have no doubt about that,” Shidou replied with a smile, once again catching Goro off-guard. “We will pay it a visit, then.”  
  
Without further ado, Shidou excused himself and stepped away, with a rather moody Goro close on his heels.  
  
“Talk about being pushy,” he complained, letting out a weary sigh. “You would think his life was on the line, seeing how quick he jumped to sell us the event the moment he thought we didn’t enjoy yourselves…”  
  
“Maybe it was,” Shidou replied with the ghost of an amused smile – a foreign sight, so foreign that Goro couldn’t help but part his lips. “But I won’t turn my nose up at this opportunity. There might be a diamond hiding amidst the rough over there, especially if the sculptor is renowned enough.”  
  
An unvolutary twitch shook Goro’s own smile, and he raised his eyes upward with a snort. The vision of sharp-dressed and frilly flies landing on a drop of honey fleeting across his mind was immediately chased away.  
  
Many people were coming and going as the two of them neared the exhibition hall, every last guest the fanciest Goro had seen so far. A wave of chatter spilled out into their area each time someone opened and closed the door, rising tenfold as they stepped into the vast room. It was a veritable cavern teeming and buzzing with life, crowds gathered around displays to the point of obstructing the view, singing praise toward the dozens of sculptures that furnished the room.  
  
“That’s… actually impressive,” Goro couldn’t help but comment as they weaved their way around, his attention captured by a marble sculpture of a woman, the veil which she was draped in possessing an extraordinary transparent quality to it. Shidou, for his part, seemed to care about it all more or less as much as one would about plankton – he scanned the room like a watchdog sniffing out an intruder, letting out a noise of triumph as he paused on what he was apparently looking for.  
  
“Hm? Don’t bother me,” the man barked – he was the director of an international firm, Goro would come to find out – “I am not in the mood to talk.”  
  
It took about a couple of minutes for him to be wrapped around Shidou’s finger. Goro couldn’t help a roll of his eyes before hastening to manufacture a pleasant smile once more.  
  
  
  
  
“All right. That should do.”  
  
Shidou was barely trying to contain his self-satisfied smirk as he briefly returned the nod of the third and last guest he had deemed his future ally since they stepped into the exhibition hall – whether said guest liked it or not.  
  
“I should give that waiter man my thanks—his help was invaluable. A shame he won’t ever realize just how much he contributed to this country’s future,” Shidou said alongside a dark chuckle; Goro merely answered with a smile. “I knew coming to this event was a good idea.”  
  
With this, he drew his sleeve back slightly and checked the time on his watch. Only then did his smirk finally fade. “Well, we don’t have any business here anymore. I’ll call for our ride.”  
  
Mere moments later, he was slipping his phone back into his pocket. Goro straightened up as Shidou turned to him once more. “He said he would be here in twenty-five minutes.”  
  
“That’s longer than I expected,” Goro remarked in a conversational tone. Shidou nodded.  
  
“The roads are apparently jammed, according to what he said,” he replied, a faint crease of disapproval in his brow before it softened away. “Well, no matter. He’ll be there eventually.”  
  
He then glanced around the exhibition hall, which seemed slightly less packed than earlier – allowing a better glimpse of the masterpieces held within. “I suppose we might as well take a look around while waiting for him. We don’t have anything better to do.”  
  
Not waiting for an answer, he stuck one hand in his pocket and casually walked over the nearest sculpture. Goro was surprised by how nonchalant he acted when nobody could recognize him; a bet that sounded rather risky to Goro’s ears, but then again, nobody had apparently seen through Shidou’s mask so far – and neither his.  
  
“It really is beautiful,” Goro said once he joined him, his eyes reflecting the picture of a statue depicting the captivating traits of Greek goddess Aphrodite. “Whoever made this must have spent a lot of time working on it…”  
  
“I suppose so,” Shidou replied, then, after a short pause, “that one over there looks impressive as well.”  
  
Their little tour was nothing special; mere ambling from one piece of art to another, giving each a quick look before moving on to the next. The sole topic of their conversations was limited to the masterpieces, with not a single word related to their business or other machinations being uttered. If Goro was more aware of himself, he would have realized he was making no effort to keep his smile alive and genuine in that moment.  
  
“This one looks a bit like you, Shidou-san,” he giggled involuntarily, his bright eyes forming two perfect crescents. All he got for an answer was a frown, and Goro immediately realized with a jolt of horror the enormity of what he just said; face paling, heart walloping, and stomach churning to the point he felt physically sick, he hurriedly made to bow his apology, feeling a raging blaze across his cheeks—  
  
“I see no resemblance,” went off a cutting response, and very timid, very confused eyes met Shidou’s severe glare. “Don’t be silly.”  
  
The response came out imperious, it came out annoyed, it came out arrogant – but Goro couldn’t detect any note of anger in Shidou’s voice. If anything, he sounded… almost like he was humoring him.  
  
“R-Really…?” he muttered before he could even comprehend what his lips were bold enough to speak out; perhaps something about Shidou’s response felt_ encouraging._ “Um, then what about that one…?”  
  
He pointed a very hesitant, somewhat shaky finger at another sculpture, one anybody could recognize as a rendition of Hercules’ awe-inspiring triumph over Cerberus. Out of all the art pieces, this one was possibly the most crowded and fawned over.  
  
“Hmph. This is better, I suppose.”  
  
Shidou stepped forward, taking the time to contemplate the piece of art with a look of approval. The curve one corner of his lips formed was barely visible, but it was there. “I have to say, however… the lion being Hercules’ easiest task to tackle sounds nearly like an offense. Such a formidable beast should have been ranked last, instead of some flea-ridden mutt.”  
  
He grazed his chin before continuing, his eyes turning serious. “Besides, him defeating the lion in the first place is utter nonsense. He would be lucky to get out of the fight with three limbs missing. Those mythical stories truly are a load of rubbish.”  
  
Goro blinked once, then twice. A moment of utter stillness greeted Shidou’s remark, one during which Goro’s mind struggled to process what he just heard. And at last, just as Shidou finally threw him a questioning look in regards to his silence, Goro brought his fist to his mouth.  
  
His laughter was completely unrestrained.  
  
“What the…” Shidou muttered, his disconcerted expression so foreign Goro might have realized it was his first time witnessing it if he had been able. He raised bright eyes at him, face alight with uncomplicated happiness.  
  
“It’s just—you take it so seriously, Shidou-san!” he explained, his speech punctuated with hearty giggles. Shidou stared at him dumbfounded, mind clearly fumbling as for how to react, only to come up blank. He was at a loss – a real one – through and through.  
  
“…don’t see what’s wrong with that…” he grunted under his breath before turning on his heel. “Well, don’t just stand there. Let’s go already.”  
  
The way he summoned his natural impatience as if to erase that one instant of weakness was clumsy at best, but Goro thought this was a comment he would better keep to himself. His laugh remaining upon his face in the form of a smile, he fell into step beside Shidou, whose gait was unusually hasty. The rest of their tour went on with no incident, brimming with newfound interactions that felt almost natural despite how foreign they were, they felt _right. _It was like they had wandered across art exhibitions together their entire lives, commenting whatever caught their eye from breathtaking movement to questionable facial expressions. Goro couldn’t resist another giggle as Shidou muttered with distaste how one sculpture’s frown made it look like it had swallowed a fly – not so much because of the imagery, but because he thought that of all the pieces they saw so far, that one looked like Shidou the most. His heart felt light like it hadn’t been in a while, translated into a grin that conveyed nothing else but carefree bliss. He was having fun, more than he could ever recount in his recent life, an exhilarating sensation akin to a crippled bird being granted wings; for the first time, the stiff and plastic smile was a real one. Even so, there was one dark cloud looming over Goro’s serenity despite how hard he tried to keep his gaze fixed upon the sun – their chauffeur would be there any minute now, cutting their time short.  
  
…He wished that moment they spent together could last forever.  
  
“So those are the initial sketches, I suppose.”  
  
Smiling away the hint of sadness threatening to taint his glow, Goro forced himself to clear his head and glanced up. They had reached an imposing glass display that took nearly one third of the wall, so grand in its height and golden adornments it was almost overwhelming. Inside were preserved dozens of sketches, from the roughest to the most polished, depicting the initial ideas and final designs for the sculptures they admired all around. Explanations about the artist’s intent accompanied each drawing in great detail, from the choice of poses to what sort of mood they wanted to convey. Goro could recognize them all.  
  
“And here is Hercules’,” Shidou said, prompting Goro to approach. “It seems they were initially planning to have him strangle Cerberus, rather than simply trample it.”  
  
Sure enough, the sketch depicted a muscular figure with his arms wrapped around one head of the mythological dog. Goro was furiously reminded of a wrestling match. “Well, I think it’s a good thing they changed their mind in the end.”  
  
His chuckle died down, though his eyes remained tirelessly radiant. An even bigger shine lit up within their depths as he excitedly pointed at another picture. “And look, Shidou-san, that’s—”  
  
A very loud sound suddenly cracked the air, so unexpected Goro involuntarily cut himself off with a gasp. Where stood clear glass instantaneously gave way to a sight as impressive as it was daunting; millions of lines born from the shattering ran across the surface of the giant display, chaotic and imprevisible just like a spider web. Goro stared, unable to tear his gaze away, his countless reflections lodged within each fragment sending back the picture of very wide eyes and parted lips. The thought to move didn’t cross his paralyzed mind and even if it did, it would have done little good – he was entirely rooted to the spot, as though a mysterious force were holding him in place. He could vaguely hear human chatter ranging from exclamations of surprise to outright terror going off in the remote distance, rising to screams in the split second the inevitable happened. Time beginning to move again, instinct finally broke free from the trance imposed on it and Goro let out a fearful yelp, covering his head with his arms even as a shower of shards poured down on him like a deadly rain, nanoseconds away from slicing into his skin—  
  
“…Ah!”  
  
What should have felt like excruciating pain was instead announced by an astonishing, unfathomable sensation of warmth first and foremost; before Goro could make the connection, something wrapped around him and held him close and tight, so tight his forehead pressed hard against whatever it was. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the pressure behind his shoulders and the other over the back of his head intensify as he heard another bang of crackling, thunderous sounds. He remained in this posture through complete silence for what felt like hours, before his senses slowly but surely picked up the world around as everything seemed to buzz to life again.  
  
“What on Earth just happened?!”  
  
“Thank goodness, you’re all fine! Dear, what about you?”  
  
“I can’t believe this! Someone could have been grievously injured, this is a serious offense and threat to all of us!”  
  
“W-We’re sorry! We, we suppose the glass was put under too much stress and finally gave out after—”  
  
“Who cares about physics right now?! I’ll take this to court—no chance I’m letting this go with such safety hazards lying around, in a crowded place no less! Our well-being is supposed to be priority number one, isn’t it?! You should consider yourself lucky it didn’t turn uglier than it already did!”  
  
“You appear unhurt.”  
  
Slowly, hesitantly, Goro cracked an eye open and raised his head at the source of this one voice. Shidou’s face, closer than he had ever witnessed it before, looked remarkably stoic, but the deep furrow along his brows peeking from his mask existed.  
  
They peered at each other, as though the entire world was gone, and only they remained. There was not a sound, not a whisper, only an aftershock that left Goro utterly stunned, rendering him unable to do anything but stare. Even through his foggening mind, he perfectly realized what just happened – but comprehending it, _believing _it, was beyond his power. His heart, however, would have none of it, and practically guided his hand toward the truth, forcing him to grasp what his mind still struggled to accept, lest it be crushed forever… and so, as his fingers grazed it, as his voice came out akin to that of a vulnerable, very young child, all he could ask to confirm this powerful truth was…  
  
“Shi… dou… san…?”  
  
Saying it aloud seemed to act as a cue. Myriads of flashes suddenly rushed through his brain, freed from the floodgates, forcing it to work furiously to even keep up. Everything felt tenfold, from his senses to his awareness especially, engraving every last fiber of his being with the realization of what exactly had been wrapped around him and radiating such warmth, who had wrapped them around, who had rushed to protect him without a second thought, who had used their own body to physically shield him from harm…  
  
Then, without warning, the warmth all around him vanished. Shidou had broken the embrace.  
  
It left in its wake a chill the existence of which Goro hadn’t suspected before then.  
  
“Let’s go. Things are becoming more hectic by the minute, and I don’t want to be part of any of it.”  
  
On this, Shidou brushed his sleeves in one impatient motion and walked past him. Goro, for his part, remained there. His gaze stayed transfixed on Shidou’s back, even as the distance between them broadened. Nothing about his gait betrayed a single hint that he had just been through such a hazardous, possibly life-threatening situation. The same had gone for his face – it had been unreadable as always, and Goro resented him for it, for looking so stoic even in that moment. He wanted to grab him by his shoulders and shake him badly, pry whatever emotion he could get out of him; he would be fine with any reaction, so long as it wasn’t this blank canvas.  
  
He just… wanted to know what Shidou was thinking in that moment.  
  
“What are you standing there for? Come here already.”  
  
Serious features unchanging, Goro swallowed. The only person who ever heard his whisper was himself.  
  
“Yes… Shidou-san.”  
  
  
  
  
Back to the main hall, the incident within the exhibition was already on its way to take the party by storm – many guests were gossiping furiously among one another. The words ‘outrageous’ and ‘inexcusable’ seemed to hang upon all lips in spite of the staff’s valiant efforts to quell them down. The crowd appeared slightly less dense as well, although it still remained large enough for an onlooker to believe nothing was wrong and everything in order. Goro had to scuttle to match Shidou’s long strides, but as they brushed past the buffet, he couldn’t help a pause.  
  
“What is it?”  
  
Goro redirected his attention to Shidou, who was throwing him an inquisitive look over his shoulder. His smile was back, though it was really one of those practiced smiles he reserved for the world as opposed to the unique, genuine one that tugged at his lips only a short time ago. “Before we leave, how about something to drink? It’s important to stay hydrated, after all.”  
  
Shidou seemed torn between surprise and annoyance at the sudden appearance of his sparkling façade – he reminded him a bit of Sae-san’s reactions, come to think of it – before the usual furrows returned to his eyes. Briskly, he readjusted his mask upon his face.  
  
“I suppose I could go for something refreshing,” he replied impatiently as he turned his head toward the exit. “Grab whatever you want for you and me both and join me outside. I’ll be waiting in the car.”  
  
Goro nodded pleasantly, and this is where they parted ways. As Shidou left, he headed for the buffet and took the time to examine all the drinks available before selecting a rosé he was certain Shidou would like, only now finally listening to how frantic his heartbeat was. He didn’t really know why he had suggested the idea; perhaps it was because he wanted to push back the moment of his departure from the party as far as he possibly could. Leaving would mean going back to a world where all pretense would unfortunately be dropped, where the beautiful lie would turn to an ugly truth once more. It was childish of him, he was all too aware, but this is what his heart kept screaming.  
  
He wanted to enjoy this just a bit longer. Enjoy being Shidou’s unapologetic son… just a little while longer.  
  
“Would you like something else, sir?”  
  
Feeling a sad smile stretch his lips that he hastened to make more presentable, Goro looked up at the steward. His choice was obvious. “Mineral water, please. Could I ask you to also pour it in a plastic cup?”  
  
While he watched the steward tackle his request, his thoughts inexorably returned to this afternoon. In his mind’s eye, he saw it all – Shidou discussing the plan in the car, the doorman smashing said plan in a flash, the birth of that insane charade, being treated like Shidou’s precious son by the oblivious guests, the girl’s imminent kiss and how Shidou had stopped it in the nick of time, having fun together as they commented each sculpture of the exhibition, feeling secure and safe in that protective embrace—  
  
The glaze in his eyes and the vague, parted smile upon his lips were both wiped in the next moment like a relaxing bird being rudely shooed away. Somebody had bumped into him with no advance notice, causing Goro to turn aside and meet the gaze of a smug-looking, arrogant youth. He appeared to be in his very early twenties, though it was hard to tell for sure given his extravagant mask.  
  
“Eh… Sorry about that. Didn’t see you there,” he said flatly, with the air of someone who wasn’t sorry at all. “Though I must say, it’d be nice if you could move aside when people try to get to the buffet.”  
  
The bluntness and sheer injustice of his words was such that for a moment, Goro had no idea how to react. He just stared with an expression of utter disbelief, taken aback like he had rarely been in the face of such open hostility.  
  
“Ah, forgive me,” he began once he finally recovered some of his speech, managing to plaster his pleasant smile on although with great, great effort, “but I was under the impression that you were the one who bumped into me…”  
  
“Gee, and like I said, I’m sorry,” the youth replied with a roll of his eyes – a motion that did short work of Goro’s already thinning patience. “That’s what I get for being in Mister Perfect’s way, huh?”  
  
Goro tilted his head to the side, unsure what the other meant. His confusion apparently prompted the youth to explain, though not without an exaggerated sigh beforehand that might as well spell out how big of a pain Goro was in that instant.  
  
“My dad told me about you. Fawned over how that one kid he met was basically a prince in training or whatever,” he groaned, wrinkling his nose in distaste. “He even pointed at you like a dog wagging its tail while we were eating.”  
  
He stepped one pace closer, looking down on Goro with a contempt that could make most recoil. Goro stared back without so much as a blink, giving up on hiding his frown this time.  
  
“Speaking of dogs… Did anyone tell your dad he should really tone it down with the permanent scowl? He looks like a damn pitbull or something.”  
  
More than anything else, it was this comment that turned Goro’s annoyance to full-blown outrage. Nose scrunching up, eyes narrowing to slits, teeth gritting to the point of pain; if Shidou’s scowl looked like a dog’s, then Goro’s looked like a rabid one’s.  
  
“Don’t you dare talk about my father that way,” he rumbled without thinking, without even realizing what he was saying, “don’t you dare…”  
  
“Or else what? You’re going to hit me or something?” the youth sneered in a challenging tone laced with sheer sarcasm. “I’d like to see you try, with those twigs you have for arms.”  
  
“Gentlemen, please…” muttered a voice weakly, prompting them to glance at the steward who looked at a complete loss. Goro contemplated him for a very long moment before finally telling himself this was simply not worth it. Making a scene would bring more trouble than he could handle, and the last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself, let alone Shidou. His temper still at critical levels, he managed by some miracle to ignore whatever taunts the youth was still throwing at him, but just as he reached out to grab his drinks and get out of here—  
  
“Oops—sorry, that was my bad.”  
  
Like one, several pairs of eyes turned in their direction before a stunned silence took over. What was a flawless tuxedo moments before had now turned into a mess of sprayed punch, emitting a strong and sweet smell of fruit. Goro blinked at himself in stupefaction, unable to believe his eyes. The fabric of his white shirt – now thoroughly tinted orange – was sticking to his skin in the most uncomfortable of ways, just like a few strands of his bangs to his forehead and the sides of his face. The front of his jacket was entirely soaked as well. He could have jumped into a pool and the result wouldn’t have been too different.  
  
Empty glass in his hand, the youth snickered without restraint and Goro looked at him in sheer incomprehension, mind struggling to wrap around the fact that someone could stoop so low, let alone in public. But no matter how hard he tried to say something, anything, not a single retaliation would come to his astounded brain. He was simply at a loss for words.  
  
“C’mon, what’s that look for?” the youth quipped, his features still distorted by hilarity. “You don’t need to gape at me like that, you know. I’m telling you, it was just an accide—”  
  
But the rest of his jeer never got past his lips – an exclamation of outrage rang out instead as he prepared to yell at whoever had the audacity to lay their hand upon his shoulder. But when he met Shidou’s ice-cold, piercing gaze, his overblown backbone almost seemed to deflate like a slashed soccer ball.  
  
“Oh, um… Uh… It, it really was an accident, I swear—”  
  
“You’re going to apologize,” Shidou cut off, his tone sharp like a knife as his grip upon the youth’s shoulder visibly tightened and caused him to flinch. “Right now.”  
  
This was all it took to elicit a high-pitched shriek and an apologetic stutter before the youth jerked himself free from Shidou’s grasp and bolted away. Shidou’s impenetrable stare remained fixed upon him well until the moment he vanished into the crowd. Then, he turned to Goro, who couldn’t help a flinch, and contemplated him at length in which each minute was one more level added to his discomfort. He spoke at last, but simply said…  
  
“Let’s go.”  
  
Without further ado, Shidou and a very sheepish Goro headed straight for the exit. Not forgetting to return their masks along the way, – they were careful leaving the party one at a time so that the doorman wouldn’t suspect anything – they climbed up their ride and were greeted by their chauffeur creasing his brow at Goro’s less than presentable appearance. However, his curiosity would remain unsated; he knew it was not his place to pry.  
  
Shidou immediately put his shades back on the moment the door snapped shut. Goro, for his part, had no idea where to look except his knees as the car began rumbling to life. He felt like a complete fool in that instant, sticky all over, reeking of a smell so overpoweringly sugary that it filled the car in no time… but all of this happening with Shidou being there to witness it was the worst offender. He would have bravely gritted his teeth and endured the humiliation in any other circumstances, but the knowledge that Shidou just _had _to be present for it crammed his head with an irresistible urge to just crawl into a hole and disappear off the surface of Earth. He could feel his face radiate intense heat, which only added insult to the injury; he was going to die from embarrassment at this rate—  
  
“Here.”  
  
Letting out a barely audible exclamation of surprise, Goro blinked and redirected his attention to Shidou – or rather to what he was handing out to him. A cautious gaze settled upon his features, one that did not melt into comprehension no matter how long he stared at Shidou’s hands.  
  
“Shidou-san…?” he asked awkwardly, lifting frowning eyes at him. “Why are you giving me your jacket…?”  
  
“Isn’t that obvious?” Shidou shot back impatiently, luxurious suit now devoid of its blazer. “You need something to cover yourself once you remove your shirt. You’re going to mess up the leather otherwise.”  
  
A very long silence fell upon the scene. Goro’s mind seemed strangely unresponsive, judging from how each thought attempting to enter it was met with a giant brick wall.  
  
“Y-You mean…” he stammered, vacant gaze fixed ahead while being entirely out of focus, “you’re giving me your jacket… for my sake…?”  
  
Shidou replied with some noncommittal noise he didn’t know how to interpret. Another long moment ticked by as disbelief washed over him like a continuous rain – but even the harshest of downpours stepped aside for a glorious sun sooner or later.  
  
“…Thank you,” Goro finally uttered, his bangs concealing his downcast gaze, before it finally rose up again to showcase a beaming smile. “Thank you very much, Shidou-san.”  
  
Shidou merely grunted in response.  
  
Another silence settled around once more, broken only by the rustling of clothes as Goro hastened to remove both ruined jacket and shirt and put Shidou’s blazer on. It was much too large on him, certainly making him look stupid again, but he realized he now cared much less for some reason.  
  
“Um, by the way, Shidou-san… May I ask you a question?”  
  
However, there was one thing he cared about still, something that was burning to be answered the moment they left the party; something he knew he would regret forever if he left it unsaid. And so, as he neatly folded his clothes, a very timid voice spoke out, accompanied by equally shy eyes.  
  
“I just wanted to know… How did you know I was being in trouble back there…?”  
  
Shidou considered him for a very long time, as though silently determining how to answer. When at last, Goro sadly realized he would get none—  
  
“…I suppose you could call it a hunch.”  
  
On this, he looked away and reached for his cigarettes. His face was as always unreadable.  
  
  
  
  
The following day, it was with a slightly shaky fist that Goro knocked on Shidou’s office door. Upon being allowed in, he scuttled toward the magnificent desk behind which Shidou sat and greeted him with a brief – if somewhat nervous – incline of the head.  
  
“So, what do you want?” Shidou asked bluntly, clearly not in the mood to beat around the bush. “I don’t have much time.”  
  
“I-It won’t take long,” Goro stammered, plastering a smile that did nothing to conceal his agitation. “U-Um… Here…!”  
  
In one swift motion, Goro bent forward, arms extending to their full length over the desk. He couldn’t see Shidou’s face given how intent he was on hiding his flustered own by fixing the floor, but he could tell it looked probably confused, if not outright wary.  
  
“What is this?” came his expected question, and while Goro finally dared look up, his gaze was strangely attracted to anywhere around the room but Shidou; it was a struggle to meet his eyes for longer than a split second.  
  
“It’s… It’s chocolate,” he replied, feeling like he was physically prying the words out of his throat. “Um… Will you accept them…?”  
  
“What for?” Shidou asked in turn, apparently decided on making this even more awkward and complicated than it had to be. Goro’s pulse was akin to a raging drum by that point.  
  
“As… As… As th-thanks for yesterday.”  
  
“For the jacket?”  
  
Shidou found those eyes at last. They were not trying to dodge his gaze anymore – they looked surprisingly lucid, showing no sign of bashfulness whatsoever as if healed by a spell. Then, they morphed to crescents, accompanying the brightest, most radiant smile Goro had ever shown to the world.  
  
“No… For everything.”  
  
Shidou snorted, though Goro absolutely swore he saw one corner of his lips twitch slightly upward. His heart did a somersault as he saw his present being taken from his hands. Then, as he was about to bow once more and hastily take his leave, Shidou did something that stopped him in his tracks – he stood up, skirted around the desk, and paused before him.  
  
Then he reached forward, and Goro felt a warm weight press upon the top of his head. A weight caused by Shidou’s hand.  
  
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said with a confident smile, patting his hair lightly. “But thank you. You’re a good kid.”  
  
Jaw hanging open, Goro was rooted to the spot. Some throaty sounds were coming out of his mouth, almost like he was on the edge of speech, but all he could manage was a few senseless burbles. They remained in this posture for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, and at last—he reached his boiling point. A newfound wave of embarrassment took over him, much more powerful and overwhelming than mere moments before, and a very flustered Goro quickly bowed and rushed out of the office in a mad dash, his footsteps pounding against the floor so loudly they might be heard across the entire building.  
  
Shidou remained there, staring silently at his door behind which the kid had disappeared before lowering his eyes downward. In his haste to leave, Akechi hadn’t realized he had dropped something – some sort of flyer, by the look of it. Shidou bent down to pick it up, and couldn’t help another snort.  
  
“Hmph. Figures.”  
  
The flyer was an advertisement for Tokyo’s finest chocolaterie, one famous worldwide and then some. Printed on it were confectioneries made specifically for Father’s Day according to the short text showcasing them and their flavors. A real shame he hated sweets.  
  
He couldn’t explain his behavior from yesterday.  
  
No matter how much he wracked his brain, he couldn’t. Of course, he had acted because his unexpected plan dictated it, but he had a very pestering feeling that this entire day had gone beyond typical obligation and crossed over the threshold of overzealousness.  
  
And the most peculiar part was that not once did he feel like his hand was being forced.  
  
He didn’t know why that was. He didn’t know why this entire day had felt natural, for lack of a better term, as though they were not putting up an act at all. As though it was simply a regular outing between a father and his son.  
  
“Father, huh…”  
  
Perhaps this is why it had felt so easy for him. Perhaps this is why he hadn’t thought twice about giving Akechi his jacket or stepping in the moment he was in trouble, not to mention_ knowing_ he was in trouble in the first place. This might also be why he felt compelled to teach that other kid a lesson, inexplicable outrage rushing through his veins as he saw the scene happen. And at last, this might be why he had immediately moved the moment he saw the glass display shatter, as if yanked up and shoved into action by a superior force. It had felt instinctive, not asking for his opinion, simply commanding him to act. And so he did.  
  
_“Of course, I thought he was simply wasting my time at first… But once he showed me proof of what he could do, I had no choice but to believe him. Yes, hard to believe but he’s just a kid, doesn’t look any older than fifteen. He said he was—”  
  
_“My son.”  
  
_“—a great admirer of mine.”_  
  
The words were spoken quietly, but seemed to echo somewhat eerily across the small office. Slowly, Shidou raised his head, staring at the door without quite seeing it.  
  
He had always known, of course. The moment he met those big, maroon eyes, he knew. They were too familiar, too akin to those of someone he had known more than a decade ago. The timeline coincided, too.  
  
But because they were related by blood didn’t mean Shidou had to act like it, much less do it so effortlessly. Akechi was a danger to him in more ways than one, a ticking bomb more threatening than his worst enemies – it was foolish to even handle it. This is why repressing this instinct deep within, pushing it back to the areas whose existence he wasn’t even aware of, was and would always be the best course of action. This entire masquerade hadn’t felt as unpleasant as he had expected despite the constant risk it entailed, but that would be the end of it. From today onward, they would be back to being mere accomplices, conspiring silently toward the day when the sun would rise upon a new world order. And after that… it would be time to say goodbye.  
  
No matter how badly this instinct was kicking and screaming. No matter how easy it had been to act on it.  
  
“Welcome home, Goro.”  
  
…No matter how naturally those words rolled on his tongue before he immediately snuffed them out.  
  
After a short pause, he finally turned around toward his desk. The elegant chocolate box, brown with golden accents, seemed strangely out of place there, like a red splotch of paint across an otherwise pale painting. Shidou stared, then extended a hand and untied the ribbon keeping the box together. He took one chocolate at random and, after another pause, popped it into his mouth. Eyes widening slightly as he chewed and swallowed, he surprisingly caught himself reaching for another one.  
  
Those weren’t half-bad.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Take a look at [my Twitter account](https://twitter.com/p5soleilnoir) if you're interested in my fanfic updates, sneak peeks of future stories, chatting with me, or otherwise seeing 99% of Goro pictures and content!
> 
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